Applauded Eastern Promises Highlighted 51st London Film Fest Opening

October 19, 2007 (4:17 am) GMT

Look for some pictures from the event held Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at London's Odeon Leicester Square.

Coming to its fiftieth-first anniversary on Wednesday, October 17, 2007, the annually-held Times BFI London Film Festival marked its opening grandly at Odeon Leicester Square with David Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises", which drew a round of applause from audience for its brutal key fight scene.

The red carpet gala for the Russian mob drama found two principal cast members Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel cheerfully made their way to the screening alongside Cronenberg. Watts looked finely beautiful in a ruby and sapphire-colored Derek Lam dress plus five-inch Dorothy-red Jimmy Choo shoes while Cassel got suave by dressing completely in black.

Joined the threesome were Australian supermodel Elle MacPherson, English filmmaker Sam Taylor Wood, actor Colin Firth and "Hot Fuzz" star Martin Freeman. The latter two both opted to appear in black suits and white shirts, Firth sporting a bow tie while Freeman choosing a long black one instead.

Now showing in theaters nationwide, "Promises" recently won the Audience Prize for best film at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Shot in England, the flick marked the first time Cronenberg filmed a movie entirely outside of Canada.